newbie

[noo-bee, nyoo‐]

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noun

a newcomer or novice, especially an inexperienced user of the Internet or of computers in general.

Origin of newbie

1965–70, Americanism; perhaps newb(orn) + -ie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for newbie

novice, rookie, beginner, tyro, initiate, recruit, colt, cub, fledgling, greenhorn, neophyte, trainee, tenderfoot, dilettante, freshman, amateur

Examples from the Web for newbie

Contemporary Examples of newbie

Michael Steinbrick, a personal trainer with New York Sports Clubs, says he can always spot a newbie.
How to Survive the New Year ‘Gympocalypse’
Tim Teeman
January 6, 2015
When he first landed, as a newbie, he had lots of sex and went out a lot.
Making It in the 2-1-2: How Kenneth Walsh Achieved His NY Dream
Tim Teeman
February 19, 2014
And he knows there'll be more than a few people wondering how a 27-year-old newbie managed to snag such a coveted part.
Broadway's New Queen
Itay Hod
March 17, 2011
Kristi Noem The South Dakota newbie was picked by House Republicans to serve as the freshman liaison to the GOP leadership.
John Boehner's GOP Headaches
Benjamin Sarlin, Samuel P. Jacobs
January 6, 2011
He's poor, mentally disabled, and his newbie lawyer botched his sentencing.
Alabama's Shameful Execution
Brendan Kirby
September 8, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for newbie

newbie

noun

slang a newcomer, esp in computing or on the internet

Word Origin for newbie

C20: origin unknown; possibly from new boy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for newbie

"newcomer, new person to an existing situation," by 1969, from new with diminutive or derogatory suffix. Perhaps originally U.S. military slang. Cf. noob. Middle English had newing "a new thing" (early 15c.); new was used as a noun meaning "naval cadet during first training on a ship" (1909); and newie "new thing" is recorded from 1947.